Property registration ordinance in San Antonio declared to be showing positive results

San Antonio, TX: The city’s Absentee Property Owner Registration ordinance appears to be operating effectively, based on statements from city officials.

Michael Shannon, interim director for the Development Services Department addressed the City Council on March 1 with news the ordinance had already resulted in a “decrease in code violations on the more than 1,100 properties that had been identified as having code violations,” according to an article from ABC KSAT 12.

The ordinance’s registration reads: “Upon the issuance of two (2) or more code violations within a 12-month period of time absentee property owners shall register with the department … Continued registration of the property by the absentee property owner is required for a period of two (2) years after the latest code violation … Absentee property owners whose property does not have a code violation may voluntarily register their properties at any time but are not required to do so.”

The annual registration is $50.00 and is due by Jan. 31 of each year. If a property owner is sent notification of registration requirement and fails to register within 45 days, a fine of up to $500.00 may be levied; with such violation of the ordinance article being considered a Class C misdemeanor.

The number of properties unregistered with the city that still have two or more code violations remains above 50 percent, but the city intends to continue to find the owners and provide notification so as to reduce overall code violations and the blight those violations can contribute to.

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